InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Condition of the Souls ❯ Always Darkest before the Dawn: Part 1 ( Chapter 11 )

Hey everyone- I'm back. I was a little discouraged and sick, but I'm better now. I also have a chapter for you- I know you're excited. I also went back and made the changes in POV better throughout the story. Enough rambling…

Review responses: (if you didn't, just scroll on down please)

Mediaminer: Lor- thank you for your review and vote- I was so encouraged by your comment. Sometime later I may make a better intro for the fic.

Fanfiction:

jess- Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you soooo much for reviewing! Thanks for your vote too! I was feeling kinda down because so few people had commented on this chapter that I just felt sad!

Angelstars- I don't know if his brother'll be hanyou yet. I hadn't considered that, but we'll see. That could make the idea I had more twisty than before. Hehe Yeah, Kikyo was a good person. I added a bit to the last chapter to make that clear- I put it right under the review responses so if you want, take a look! Yeah I was furious about Inuyasha being so rude too, but I needed to work with this Kikyo problem if I'm going to set up Inuyasha and Kagome together and get the romance flowing. I don't want to just ignore the problem, so I didn't. Kagome can travel through time without him, especially since she has the necklace. She doesn't even need the Goshinboku, or she won't after she gets some training- and the necklace helps with that. Remember how the necklace is made out of wood? Well it's made out of the wood of the Goshinboku. Inuyasha can travel through time with Kikyo because it is some of the same soul and similar power.

 

Here's the bit that I added.

“Kagome, you have been torn apart by his love for Kikyo, but you chose to forgive and stay for the good of your friends and to help him. Since then, you have grown even more. You will make mistakes, but your choices make you different from Kikyo.”

“I hope you're right.” But wasn't she a good person? Everyone always talked about how kind and good she was, how much she helped people.

Nozomi brushes away a lock of Kagome's hair from her face. “Kagome, Kikyo was a good person, if you can say that anyone is good, since no one is completely good or evil.” Kagome gives her a confused look. “I know it sounds odd, but we don't have that capability. Anyway, Kikyo had good intentions, but she made a mistake, as we all do sometimes. She got in so deep that she didn't even realize her position and that's what made it so dangerous.” Kagome looks away and sighs. Nozomi moves so that she can look into her younger counterpart's eyes again. “Also, the time was not right. Kikyo didn't need the necklace. She had her own mission and you have yours. Don't doubt yourself, Kagome. If you do, it would seem that this Naraku of whom you speak will be more than happy to take advantage of that. ” Silence passes between them.

Kagome nods and her misty eyes clear. “I hope that doesn't happen. I don't want to end up hurting people I love. I'll do my best.” Nozomi smiles and then sits back. Kagome looks outside for a moment. “I should go.” She gets up to leave.

 

 

Chapter 11: Always Darkest before the Dawn: Part 1

 

“Some people are reluctant to consider the future, arguing that it must be left to solve its own problems and to shape its own beliefs. In all right efforts for the future, religion must be given first place. No provision to secure peace or just social principles can be worth much unless the foremost aim be to establish the Kingdom of God. It is not the minds and bodies only of generations to come that have to be remembered, but their immortal souls.” - John Oxenham, Winds of the Dawn

(break)

 

As the late-afternoon sun smiles down on the world, Inuyasha follows Kikyo down the hill as the townspeople examine the pair from their places. Kikyo doesn't pay them any mind; she gracefully glides further down with each precise step. Inuyasha, as curious as ever, looks around with wide eyes. Every few seconds, his dark pupils focus on Kikyo. He wonders why Kikyo came and demanded the worthless-looking wooden pendant that weird woman had given to Kagome. Suddenly, he wishes that he had paid more attention to the details that they had discussed and he makes a vow to himself that he will try and pay more attention, no matter how worthless the information may seem at the time.

 

My mother was part youkai? I wonder if my father knew that before he mated with her. He did come here to study, so maybe that was part of his reasoning… no wait, he loved her. He looks off into the unfamiliar woods. I am really in the past… and I was able to come here with Kagome's help. His mind flits back to what occurred at his father's house. I even got to meet my mother before she officially met me! That's just not natural. Sometimes I almost forget that I saw them… and I even forget the differences between Sesshoumaru and Sess-kun. He stops walking and gleefully grins. He would strangle me if I called him by that name, but he's not allowed to try and kill me anymore. Now, if he just wouldn't hang around and annoy me, that'd be wonderful!

 

“Inuyasha, come on.” Kikyo turns around and watches him from 15 feet away. “I want to make it back before sundown.”

 

Inuyasha stumbles towards her, scratching his head. “Where are we going, Kikyo?”

 

“Isn't it obvious? We are going back to our time. We can talk there.” She unemotionally states as she begins to walk on.

 

“Oh, right.” He stumbles along after her. Wait a second- we can talk there? Suddenly, flashes of what happened in the hut come back to him. Kikyo bursting in while Kagome was enthusiastically learning, Nozomi kicking Kikyo out of her some and Kikyo asking him to follow her… Immediately, something heavy settles in the bottom of Inuyasha's stomach. As a picture of Kagome's hurt face imprints itself in his mind, he shakes his head and scowls at his behavior. Kagome appealed to me and I let her down. I didn't even say good-bye.

 

The pair passes over the river and Inuyasha remembers how Kagome had nagged him about remembering where they were going. In his mind, he can hear her sigh and feel her warmth on his back. When he reaches the other bank, it hits him- Kagome has no way to get back home. He stops in his tracks and turns around to debate what to do next.

 

Kikyo notices his dilemma and rolls her dark eyes in disgusted protest. Walking closer to him has no effect whatsoever, so she resorts to stimulating his auditory senses. “Inuyasha, let's go.”

 

“Kikyo,” he turns to her and allows one word to spill from his lips, “Kagome…” His muscles tense as he thinks about running back to find her and apologize for his behavior.

 

Her eyes following his, she sighs and puts her hand on his shoulder. “Inuyasha, don't worry about her. She's fine.”

 

“B…but, she can't get back!” Inuyasha allows his panic to rise and as a result, he becomes increasingly irritable.

 

“Calm down- she can get back. She doesn't need you to travel through time.”

 

His ears flick back and forth in the light breeze. His eyes narrow and his nerves snap. “Don't give me that bullshit! I've been listening to that overgrown weed and…”

 

She interrupts him tactfully. “Have you really been paying attention to what he said? Goshinboku never said that she needed you to travel through time. He said that you could travel through time because of the power that seeped into your soul over the time that you were sealed to him, but you also need Kagome's power… or mine. Kagome can travel without you; she doesn't need Goshinboku to time travel, especially now that she has that necklace.”

 

“No one ever mentioned that.” His anger melts for a moment so that he can figure out what's going on. “That necklace? It looked worthless.”

 

“Your sword Tessaiga looks worthless in its untransformed state as well, Inuyasha. We can't judge worth on appearances. I know that you are aware of that fact. As for the pendant, it's made from the bark of Goshinboku.”

 

“Is that why you wanted it?”

 

Kikyo's mouth sets itself. “It should be mine. They don't have time to dawdle and they would not have to re-train me. I received their training, just like the rest. She must be trained.”

 

Inuyasha gives her a questioning look and remembers how Nozomi refused to give Kikyo the necklace. “Why wouldn't Nozomi give the necklace to you?”

 

Kikyo glares at him and looks away. “She refused to give it to me when I was alive.” Kikyo stops, but the hanyou's mouth opens to ask a question. She silences him with a look. A few seconds later, her eyes soften somewhat and she lightly throws her hands up in the air. “She said that I didn't need the necklace, but I saw the disappointment shining behind her eyes. She was always looking down on me and was prejudiced against me, just because of everything that happened with you.”

 

Inuyasha's golden eyes snap open even further, if that's possible. “She knew?”

 

“You met her and noticed how she reads minds? She found out about my feelings for you, despite my efforts to keep her away from the subject. I should have known that her idealistic notions about youkai, hanyou and humans living in peace were just a farce!”

 

Inuyasha thinks about how kind the stranger that he met with Kagome and how nice and sympathetic to them, especially him. “Kagome and I met a woman who seemed to believe that youkai, hanyou and humans were different but equal.”

 

“I don't know about the rest, but Nozomi does not really believe that.”

 

Inuyasha remains unconvinced as he thinks about how Kikyo protected the Shikon no Tama in the past. “Maybe she didn't give it to you because you really didn't need it, regardless of her disagreements with you.” Kikyo doesn't answer him, but she glares at him and walks faster.

 

A minute later, they see Goshinboku. Inuyasha sighs in relief and greets the tree, “Hey, what's up?”

 

“Inuyasha, you dared to come back without Kagome? That was very rude of you. She's a very forgiving young woman, but should you really test your limits like that?”

 

Kikyo defends him as Kagome did to her. “He makes his own choices.”

 

“Kikyo, you didn't listen to me. I told you not to mettle in this matter. The necklace is not yours. You didn't need it and so why should she have given you more responsibility when you already had so much going on? That wouldn't have been logical.”

 

Kikyo ignores Goshinboku and motions to Inuyasha to take his place beside the tree. Nodding in silence, he reluctantly shuffles forward.

 

Continuing his verbal assault, Goshinboku's tone becomes sharper and more insistent in their heads. “This is not the end of this, Kikyo. Don't you know what could happen if you touch that pendant? Are you paying attention to me?”

 

Neither the dead miko nor the inu-hanyou answers him. Kikyo invokes the spell and they are both transported back to the Sengoku Jidai, where the rain has stopped for the most part. A dense mist covers the ground and little water droplets fall down from the leaves on the trees.

 

Kikyo turns to Inuyasha and begins to walk him back towards the village. “Inuyasha, beware of Nozomi for all the reasons that I told you about earlier. She is not to be completely trusted. I don't want you to be brain-washed by her nonsense. Now when your little friend comes back, she will be filled with crazy ideas. You don't have to argue with her if you don't want to, but take what she says with a grain of salt. You are different from her, Inuyasha. Remember that when dealing with her.” She looks around. “Now, I have some business to attend to. Thank you for choosing to follow me. I will see you again.” She disappears into the forest without another word.

 

In the clearing, Inuyasha is left with his mouth hanging open and his loyalties torn asunder, though more so than usual. He shakes his head sadly and unenthusiastically goes back to Kaede's, where everyone is waiting. I have to get back; they're waiting… He sighs as a picture of Kagome's smiling face enters his mind. They're waiting for both of us. His white dog-ears droop and he stops moving forward. He lifts his face to look into the sky with one thought drifting desperately through his mind… Kagome, please forgive me.

(break)

 

Meanwhile, back at Kaede's, Sesshoumaru sits around inside the hut by himself. Kaede left a little while ago to treat someone in the village; Sango and Kirara went along to assist the aging miko. Sesshoumaru had not paid attention to where Miroku went, but the taiyoukai didn't care. All he wanted was a little time alone. That is why he had ordered Jaken to Rin and Shippo to play somewhere else; they had a talent for getting on his nerves. Sesshoumaru smirks at the horrified look on his servant's face when he had looked out the window at the pouring rain. What else could Jaken do but to bow and to find a way to carry out his master's explicit orders? In the meantime, Sesshoumaru falls asleep to the sound of the light rain tinkling on the roof.

 

*Sesshoumaru's dream*

On a warm afternoon, Sess-kun is lost in a sea of flowers, carefully picking out the most beautiful blossoms. He smiles to himself as he picks up each one and arranges the bouquet in his hands. When he finishes, he runs back through the garden to his home, where his father and step-mother are waiting for him. He reaches the steps that lead into the house and he enthusiastically climbs them, much to the mixed dismay and amusement of the servants around him. They throw chastising looks in his direction, but he just smiles at them as he continues to run towards the dining room.

 

He bursts in the room and ignores everyone but Mika. He bows to her before giving her the bouquet of flowers. She thanks him and places the flowers beside her place-setting on the table. The next thing she knows, Sess-kun throws his arms around her pregnant belly. Everyone in the room laughs good-naturedly as Mika smiles and strokes his soft, white hair.

 

He pulls away and slightly anxiously looks around the room. All of the taiyoukai and their wives were there, smiling at him. He looks at Mika and whispers, “Why are they all here?”

 

Mika nods in understanding and whispers back, “I think that your father should explain.”

 

Inutaisho comes nearer to them. “Sess-kun, they are here to acknowledge you as the heir to the lordship.” Sess-kun puffs out his chest, but his eyes still reveal a bit of trepidation. Inutaisho winks at his son. “They are also here in honor of Mika and the unborn pup.” At this moment, a middle-aged miko sprints into the room with a large bag.

 

Mika stands up and smiles. “To what do we owe this great honor?”

 

One of the taiyoukai asks, “Who is this person?”

 

Mika answers, “This is my older sister.” Some of the nobles' eyebrows rise. “She's my half-sister, actually. Her mother died a year after she was born and our father married a younger woman, my mother. I'm the youngest.”

 

Her sister comments with a smile, “And you're still wet behind the ears!” Everyone chuckles at the joke. The miko's face becomes serious. “Mika, I had a vision that your child would be born tonight, on the night of the new moon, so I gathered my things and rushed over here as fast I could.”

 

The pitch of Mika's voice raises a few keys, but she tries to keep herself calm. “Are you sure? I haven't had any contractions.”

 

The miko/midwife gestures to the pregnant woman's abdomen. “Mika, look how much the baby has dropped. Labor will begin soon.”

 

About half-way through dinner, Mika's contractions begin and her sister rushes her off upstairs and keeps everyone out except a few female servants. Sess-kun sits outside the door with Inutaisho, who is sweating nervously. With each scream that comes from behind the door, the young youkai lord's face scrunches up as if he wants to share the pain of his beloved wife.

 

Sess-kun cringes for his step-mother and tries to keep himself from worrying. Instead, all he can think about is what his own birth must've been like. He had never asked his father much about it, because it always made Inutaisho so sad. After internally debating the issue, restless curiosity gets the better of him. He looks at his father. “Is this how it was when I was born?”

 

Inutaisho closes his eyes in pain and puts his arm around his son. “It was somewhat, but not the same.”

 

Sess-kun looks puzzled. “Why is it different?” Inutaisho doesn't answer, so the young youkai looks worriedly at the door. “Is Mika-san going to die like Mommy?”

 

Inutaisho's head snaps up and he answers his son just a little too loudly. “No!” Then, he lowers his voice, “No, at least I don't think so.”

 

Sess-kun squirms in his seat a bit and allows the dreaded question to come out. “Why did Mommy die?”

 

Inutaisho sighs heavily and kneels down before his son. “Sumi, your mother, was intelligent and beautiful. She liked to give humans the benefit of the doubt, which was unusual for youkai nobility, as you know well. I was overjoyed when I found out that she was pregnant with you. You see, she wanted so much to give birth to you, an heir and a wonderful son. I told her that I only wanted her to be happy. She followed her dream- to conceive and give birth to you. She was in good health, but giving birth is still dangerous. There can be terrible complications for both mother and child.” He stops for a moment to cringe at a particularly loud scream from behind the door. “Labor went quicker than for her than most first-time mothers, but she was weakened from the ordeal and fell victim to an infection,” His face scrunches up in grief and regret. He softly adds, “…despite our best efforts to protect her.”

 

“Our best efforts?”

 

“Sumi's, mine… and the midwife's…”

 

Sess-kun nods in understanding. “Oh.” Inutaisho's hunched over with his claw covering his face. The little youkai looks at his father and puts his arm around him. “Mika-san and her pup will be fine, father. Her sister is here to take care of her, after all.” Inutaisho clutches something in his claw, but Sess-kun doesn't notice.

 

All of a sudden, a baby's cry fills the early morning air. Everyone outside the door sighs in relief, including Inutaisho and Sess-kun. The miko comes outside and quickly closes the door behind her. “Inutaisho-sama, you have another healthy son. The strange thing is that he appears to be completely human.”

 

Inutaisho looks at her and smiles softly. After a moment of relief, his face breaks into a delirious grin and he begins to laugh. “Forgive me, but I was just trying to figure out why he would appear human. It makes sense to me now.”

 

“Really? I…”

 

The taiyoukai quickly reassures her. “It's fine. Go and tell Mika that if she's worried. I want you to stay with her as much as possible.” His eyes darken a bit and his face becomes serious.

 

She turns to go back into the room, but lingers for a moment. “Inutaisho, it won't happen like before...”

 

Inutaisho puts a claw on her shoulder. “I know. I'll put Sess-kun to bed and be right in to see her. Will you tell Mika that for me?”

 

“I will.” She turns to Sess-kun. “You'll be a good big brother and take care of him, won't you?”

 

Sess-kun swells with pride. “Yep, you bet!” He smiles at Mika's half-sister.

 

“Come on,” Inutaisho beckons, “Let's get you to bed. It's very late.”

 

“Goodnight!” Sess-kun waves at the miko as she goes back into the room.

 

Inutaisho puts Sess-kun to bed and he is so tired that he immediately falls asleep. Inutaisho smiles as he walks out and goes to see his new son.

 

That night, Sess-kun dreams of what he imagined Mika's labor to have been like as well as what his birth was like. Little snippets from his birth flash in his head all night long.

 

In the morning, he goes downstairs and finds Mika nursing a white-haired baby with little white ears. Inutaisho, Mika and her sister are talking about how his demon blood activated once the sun came up.

 

Mika asks, “Is that always the case with hanyou? Is it always the same night that they were born?”

 

Inutaisho scratches his chin. “I don't know. Sadly, I don't know many hanyou. I'll try to find out secretively. That night he will be vulnerable, so we don't want people to find out the secret.” Then he notices his eldest son. “Sess-kun, good morning. Come meet your little brother, Inuyasha.”

 

Sess-kun sprints forward and scratches Inuyasha's ears so that they twitch. The baby opens his eyes and looks his brother in the eye. Both of them smile.

 

All the adults look at each other and smirk. Mika smoothes Sess-kun's hair that is wild from sleep. “Did you sleep well, Sess-kun?”

 

He nods lightly. “Did you? How are you feeling, Mika-san? Did it hurt a lot?”

 

Mika laughs at the set of quick-fire questions. “Yes, it hurt a lot, but I am feeling much better. Now, I will say that it hurt more than anything I've ever experienced before.”

 

Sess-kun's face becomes much more serious. “Why would you go through something like that?”

 

She smiles good-naturedly and looks at Inuyasha. “It's more than worth the trouble and the pain. See your new half-brother?”

 

“I see him.” After a moment, the young inuyoukai opens his mouth, but does not speak immediately. Softly, Sess-kun murmurs, “Are you going to die, Mika-san?”

 

Everyone's eyes open wide. Mika laughs nervously. “I sure hope not.” Everyone laughs it off, but tension continues to permeate the room.

(break)

 

A few weeks later, Mika is feeling more like herself. She has recuperated from the ordeal. Sess-kun adores his baby brother and is constantly around him. Naturally, he does feel somewhat neglected since he used to be the center of attention and now he must share the spotlight with Inuyasha. Still, he is handling the transition well.

 

In the meantime, Sess-kun thinks more and more about his own birth and doesn't understand why Mika lived and his mother died. Both mothers were healthy, but the weaker human lived and his mother didn't. He didn't hate Mika for it, but he did feel that it was rather unfair.

 

After weeks of desiring someone to blame, he finally finds someone to pin it on- the midwife who delivered him. He thinks about it so much that some of the servants begin to worry about him. They tell Inutaisho when he comes back from his business. Although the patient taiyoukai tries to talk some sense into his son, his efforts are unsuccessful.

 

That same night, Sess-kun attacks the miko/midwife in the place of the one who delivered him. Luckily, Inutaisho was one step ahead of his son and is there in time to keep Sess-kun from having a second swipe. Inutaisho apologizes for his son.

 

The miko shakes her head. “No, it's fine. I'm just sorry for what has happened to him.”

 

Inutaisho nods and lightly smiles to reassure her. “Yes, I know that and so does Mika.”

 

“What are you going to do?”

 

He pauses a moment to think. “I'm going to try something. Sess-kun, relax.” Inutaisho murmurs a series of words. Sess-kun falls limp.

 

“What did you do to him?”

 

“I tried to show him the truth, so he won't make any wrong assumptions.”

 

“Without a background?”

 

“Even I don't completely understand it, but I can protect him from himself for now…”

 

Sess-kun wakes up, thrashing around in bed.

*end dream*

 

Back at Kaede's, Sesshoumaru wakes up murmuring unintelligible words. He thrashes around and wakes up after a moment. When he does, he looks up to see Inuyasha laughing his butt off.

 

“Good morning, bro! Did you have a scary dream?”

 

Sesshoumaru narrows his eyes, gets up and walks out into the humid, but otherwise, clear evening. He can still hear Inuyasha laughing a mile away and he sighs deeply, knowing that Inuyasha won't ever let him live this one down.

(break)

 

That's for this chapter! Part 2 will be out soon- Kagome went to go see Inutaisho by herself. He has to give her something… hehe The truth of Sesshoumaru's mother's death will be revealed to Kagome.

 

Current poll results:

2 -Two youkai mates (one who would die)

2 -Rin as mate and stays alive

2 -One hanyou mate (who would die), one youkai mate

1 -One youkai mate

0 -One human mate (who would die), one youkai mate

 

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